ENGLAND star Natasha Hunt said she was ‘delighted’ to return to her roots after being awarded a full-time contract by the RFU.

Drybrook-raised ‘Mo’ will transition from sevens rugby back to the 15-a-side game and has signed for Women’s Premier 15s side Gloucester-Hartpury under her new contract.

Hunt has already made an immediate impact having joined up with fellow World Cup winner Ceri Large and ex-Drybrook RFC wing Ellie Underwood.

Play-off hopefuls Gloucester-Hartpury won 50-20 against Firwood Waterloo before Christmas, as Hunt scored a brace of tries on her debut.

She came off the bench to dummy her way clear from the base of a ruck on the Waterloo 22 to sprint under the posts before pouncing to power over from close range.

Hunt represented England in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens, as well as being a finalist in the 2017 World Cup and winning the same competition with Large in 2014.

She also represented Great Britain in sevens at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

“In the two years I’ve been away, the game has come on so much,” she said upon signing for Gloucester-Hartpury.

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